Reviews

• “The potatoes serve as an absurd framing of the story that lets the book maintain a fairly light-hearted tone, despite its very serious theme. This balance is handled very well by Karinsdotter and is supported by the style of Stenbæk Kristensen’s illustrations. /…/ The Last Boy Rain is a picture book with a mission, and it delivers the message of the importance of (male) emotions, and the courage to be soft and vulnerable even when society expects the opposite, in a clever and entertaining way. As a guy myself, I find it very refreshing to read. It’s also a perfect book for anyone who wants to start a discussion with kids through reading out loud. Especially today, when angry young men and toxic masculinity have entered the general consciousness, the book’s topic feels more relevant than ever.”

• “The first thing that strikes you about Emma Karinsdotter’s and Bjarke Stenbæk Kristensen’s picture book The Last Boy Rain is the richness of the illustrations. Stenbæk Kristensen’s artwork contains a large dose of humor. He manages to find a fine balance, where the funny details are flowing without the pictures being cluttered. /…/ The village of Happiness is inhabited only by men, all of whom are constrained by the stereotypical masculinity norms, a world far taken to the extreme and still maintaining the subject both clever and thought provoking. And on top of that, it’s just an incredibly funny story.”